


The Journey That Made Us

by LakeShoreDrive75



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2020-11-23 02:03:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20884346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LakeShoreDrive75/pseuds/LakeShoreDrive75
Summary: A collection of one shots following April and Donnie's relationship throughout the series. Rated T for language. (ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!)





	1. New Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! I've been currently re-watching TMNT 2012 and it has inspired me to write a bunch of one shots around April and Donnie starting from season 1 all the way through 5. I'll try to update weekly, to the best of my abilities and schedule. Hope you all enjoy! This one takes place during and after Rise of the Turtles.

"Are you okay?"

How could she be? Just hours ago, a peaceful walk with her father turned chaotic as they were both kidnapped by some strange men in suits, rescued by giant turtles who studied ninjutsu, nearly falling to her death and being rescued by one of them, only to be separated from her father as he was being flown to God knows where by alien robots. She'd be lying if she said she was _'okay'_.

"Dad..." April whispered, watching the chopper fade away into the night.

Gently, Donnie helped the girl to her feet and stood protectively in front of her. "We'll get your dad back, but right now I suggest we get out of here!" From the sound of the screeching and laser blasts, it sounded like his brothers needed him.

April followed the giant turtle back towards the entrance of the base where she saw 3 more turtles fighting against a humongous plant creature and even more of those robot creeps that stole her father from her. Donnie noticed the mutant, which Mikey had named Snakeweed, being forced backwards into the machine that Leo was standing on.

"What are they doing?" The purple clad turtle questioned out loud. "They're leading him straight towards that power generator, that's incredibly stupid!" He pondered for a second. "Or brilliant...or both!"

Leonardo's taunting came in handy as he distracted Snakeweed and the bots continually shooting at the generator, it electrocuted the giant plant and exploded right after, making it rain Snakeweed bits all over the area. Quickly, the turtles and April hauled out of there before more trouble had arrived. Tonight had been one hell of a night for everyone. Leo guided the group towards the rooftops, keeping an eye out for anymore similar-looking men in suits. Once they got a moment to catch their breath, the turtles figured they should acquaint themselves to their new human friend.

"Is there anywhere you can stay until your Dad comes back?" Donnie asked.

April paused, still trying to wrap her head around everything she had witnessed, her world just got a whole lot bigger...and stranger. "Yeah, I have other family around here. My Aunt lives right above an antique store downtown. You know where that is, right?"

"Uhh...not really, no," Donnie admitted with a nervous chuckle. "This is the first time we've seen the city in, well, ever!"

She blinked. "Are you serious?"

Leonardo spoke. "Unfortunately, our Sensei isn't really fond of the outside world. We've spent 15 years underground and this was the first time we were allowed to explore the surface."

Mikey, unable to control his excitement, giggled with joy. "Dudes! I can't believe we've met an actual human!" He began jumping up and down, asking April question after question about the outside world until Raphael jerked him away by his bandana tails.

Leonardo sighed and stood next to the girl. "You'll have to forgive Michelangelo, he's just really excited to meet new people."

"Michelangelo?" She repeated. "Like the artist?"

Donatello nodded. "Our Sensei was a fan of the Renaissance art period. We're all named after famous artists of that time." He pointed to himself, "You've already met me, Donatello."

"Leonardo," the blue masked turtle introduced himself and bowed respectively.

"Raphael," the middle one said and crossed his arms. "And unfortunately, you've already met Mikey."

"Hey!" The youngest brother yelled and tried to attack Raph, being held back by Leo.

April laughed. She observed each of the brothers and noticed the different traits about them. Height differences, skin tone, eye color, each turtle was totally unique. It made her feel more comfortable. Seeing how those robots all looked the same, whether they had their human disguises on or not, made her skin crawl. Finally she introduced herself to the group. "I'm April, April O'Neil."

Leo smiled. "It's nice to meet you April. So this antique store, do you think you could lead us to it?"

"No problem."

* * *

Once April had arrived and told her Aunt that her father had to be away for awhile, she went up towards the guest bedroom where she used to stay whenever she spent the night. She realized she'd have to go back to her own apartment and gather some personal items; school stuff, laptop, extra clothes. The turtles had said they would be close by as she lead them to her Aunts. Opening the window, she sat on the edge waiting for her new friends. She didn't even hear them until they landed on the balcony. Ninjas, remember? She'd have to get used to that.

Donnie walked up to where she sat, concern in his red-brown eyes. "Are you going to be alright?"

April shrugged and smirked. "I guess. My Aunt says I can stay here for as long as I want." Her expression darkened, fists balled up. "I'll be a lot better once I track down the creeps that took my dad."

"Won't the police help?" Leo asked.

"Funny thing," April responded with a scoff. "When you tell them your dad was kidnapped by alien brains in robot bodies, they don't take you all that seriously."

Mikey rolled his blue eyes, remembering how his brothers didn't believe him about the alien brains either. "I hear that."

"April, I promise you that we will not rest until we find him," Donnie said.

"We won't?" Raphael asked, half sarcasm, half serious.

Leo glared and nudged him. "No, we won't."

April was touched. She was thankful that she wouldn't be alone on this mission. But she had just met these guys, how could she ask them to also risk their lives just so her life could return to a decent form of normalcy?

"Thank you. But it's not your fight."

Donnie put his hand on top of hers. Surprisingly, it was warm and soft. Just like his voice. "Yes, it is."

She couldn't help but smile at him, grateful for his kindness and heart. He returned the smile, a bit embarrassed by the contact and followed his brothers as they headed towards the rooftops once more. They shared one more wave before the turtle vanished into the night.

* * *

A few days had passed and April was still determined as ever to find her dad. She figured that those creeps could be hiding anywhere in the city, so she set up a message board on different websites for people to list unusual sightings around New York. She also spent long nights researching various labs, scientists and companies to try and find a lead for this whole thing, but no luck so far. April figured she needed some air to clear her mind and opened her window, only to find Donnie standing before her, just as he was going to knock. Both of them yelled and fell back in surprise.

"Geez, Donnie! Way to give me a heart attack!"

"That would make two of us," the young ninja replied, still on the floor and a hand on his plastron.

April helped him to his feet, closing her window behind her. "What are you doing here? Everything okay?"

"Well, after some consistent begging and reasoning, we've convinced Master Splinter to let you into the lair! In fact, he'd like to meet you personally."

"Your Sensei wants to meet me?" April repeated, confused by mysterious invite.

Donnie smiled. "Yep! If we're going to work together to get your dad back and stop those alien robots, it's only fair that you know where we are in case you ever need us." He held out his hand. "You ready?"

"Sounds awesome!" She quickly grabbed his hand and held tightly as he helped her towards the roof.

* * *

Once in the sewers, the duo walked quietly with Donnie leading the way. Their footsteps echoed in the tunnels with the occasional drip of water and scampering of rats following after.

April kept glancing at Donnie. He seemed focused as he kept his eyes forward leading her to their home. She wondered what this Master Splinter was like. From what she knew, he had a love for the renaissance as given by the turtles' names, he had to have taught them how to be ninja, and he wasn't trusting of the outside world, specifically humans. Fantastic. Why would April be any different? She looked at Donnie again, his calm expression allowing her to relax a bit. If he wasn't worried, she didn't have a reason to be either.

Donatello, however, was not as calm as his outer self disguised him to be. Inside he was a nervous wreck, and for all the silly reasons. Here he was alone in the sewers with April of all people! What should he say to her? They've been silent for about 5 minutes now. He cursed himself for not having the social skills to strike up a conversation with her. He made a mental note to fix that later. And hopefully, if she came by the lair more often, he could find more ways to hang out with her.

"So, what's Master Splinter like?" April wondered. Hoping that more knowledge of him would make her less nervous.

"Huh? Oh, Splinter? He's great! Taught us everything we know. He raised and took care of us ever since we were just hatchlings." The teenager spoke fondly of his father.

"So you guys weren't always...?"

"Giant, walking, talking turtles? No. We were once just four regular pet turtles."

April nodded, still not understanding how a small baby turtle that could fit in the palm of her hand grow up to be a 6 foot tall ninja. "What happened to you all?"

"Well," Donnie began. "As Splinter always told us, he ran into a strange man on the street and decided to follow him. He was spotted and while trying to protect himself and us, some green ooze got spilled onto us and transformed us into what we are today."

"Oh man," April replied. "And you've been down here all this time, right under people's feet and they don't even know."

"And we'd like to keep it that way," he reminded her. "A ninja's greatest weapon is the shadows, and as long as we aren't spotted by too many people, we'll be safe."

Finally they made it to the hideout - An abandoned subway station. It was surprisingly cleaner and a bit fancier than the rest of the sewers. April's eyes scanned the area, amazed at it all. Various arcade machines that Donatello had fixed up so he and his brothers could play, a TV in the main area, a tire swing above a small pool of water. It was...

"Incredible," April breathed. She could definitely hang out here from time to time.

"Yo, April!" A familiar, cheerful voice called out to her. Mikey pounced his way to where their new friend stood. "Welcome to our crib!" he introduced in a cool tone.

She laughed. "Thanks, Mikey." She noticed Raph working out on a punching bag and Leo sitting near the TV watching Space Heroes. "I'm actually here to meet Master Splinter. Donnie said he wanted to see me."

"Dojo's right over there," Raphael said between punches and gestured towards the green folding partitions.

The teenager smiled nervously. "Any words of wisdom before I go in?"

"Just act chill!" Mikey yelled.

"Remember to bow," Leo advised.

"Don't do anything Mikey would do," Raph joked and Mikey stuck out his tongue.

Donnie put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Just be yourself. You'll be fine."

She patted his hand and smiled, facing the dojo. Here goes nothing.

* * *

The tree was the first thing that caught her attention. It stood near the center of the dojo, engulfed by the light that peaked between the skylight grate. April stared at the plant in awe. "Beautiful."

"Yes, it is," a voice answered.

Turning around, April finally came face to face with the turtle's master. She was frozen in place as he towered over her. Pink nose, whiskers, bushy eyebrows and fur. Their master was a giant rat. Most people would've screamed and ran by now, but not her. Of course, she was friends with four mutant turtles and what she expected to see was another giant, mutant turtle, so she had the right to be a bit confused. But something told the girl that this particular rat meant no harm, that same feeling she seemed to get when she focused on something. His eyes had a warm presence to him and although he was an animal, there was a humanistic atmosphere about him.

Remembering Leo's advice and wanting to show respect to her friends' mentor and father, she straightened her posture and bowed. "Master Splinter."

Splinter returned the bow. "You must be April O'Neil. An honor to finally meet you."

"The honor is mine, really," she said.

The mutant led her to the center of the dojo where he had set up a small table and prepared some tea.

"Please sit," Splinter gestured. He poured April a cup, to which she thanked him for. "My sons speak very fondly of you. It seems that your paths intertwined when they had their first journey to the surface."

April blew the steam that rose from her cup. "Yes, Sir. They were trying to stop the men that kidnapped my father and I. My Dad is still out there, but I would've been captured too if it wasn't for your sons."

Splinter bowed his head. "My apologies about your father, April. It would seem you all have a common enemy now."

"Sounds about right," April grumbled. "I'm doing all I can to try and track down these guys! I just...I want my Dad back."

"And you will get him back," Splinter reassured. "In time you will. But for now have patience."

The girl nodded. "I will, Master Splinter."

The Sensei took a sip of his tea and cleared his throat. "Now, aside from the issue concerning your father and these new enemies you have discovered, I am willing to answer any questions you have, to the extent of my knowledge."

April took a moment to think. What other questions did she have besides the whereabouts of her dad and who these robot aliens were? She had to admit, she was fascinated by the existence of mutants, even the wilder looking ones such as Snakeweed. And of course she wanted to know more about the turtles. Not wanting to dive into something too personal for the old master, she decided on something simple.

"Was it difficult raising four sons on your own?"

The rat's ears perked up, surprised by the question. He stroked his beard in thought. "It was quite the challenge, yes. And living underground did not make it easier. But like ninja, we have learned to adapt to our environment and use it to our advantage, whatever that may be."

"That's amazing!" The teenager beamed. "I didn't know that being a ninja isn't just about kicking butt."

Splinter chuckled. "That is what Michelangelo said when he was a child."

Speaking of Mikey, sounds of clutter and arguing could be heard from the living room. Raph was yelling about something that Mikey did, Mikey was protesting that whatever he did wasn't his fault, and Leo was telling them to keep it down as he was trying to watch Space Heroes. Splinter sighed and knew that was his cue to go see what all the commotion was about.

April stood up as Splinter set down his cup of tea in annoyance. Before the two could exit the dojo, he lay a hand on April's shoulder.

"I trust that our secret will be safe with you, My Child."

April smiled. "Absolutely."

The mutant master returned the smile, then turned towards the entrance of the dojo. "Now, how about I give you an example of how I was able to control four sons on my own?"


	2. Siblings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during 'Monkey Brains'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated! Enjoy!

Today was just not Donatello's day. Being teased by his brothers for creating a flow chart of the many possibilities to get April to hang out with him, not having a lead on the mysterious vanishing of Dr. Rockwell, and getting humiliatingly beat up by a mutated lab monkey, in front of the girl he likes no less. He'd never been more ashamed. Who was he if he couldn't protect himself and April from a wild animal? The angry primate was just faster than Donnie's thinking speed; couldn't calculate a weak spot, no predictable fighting style whatsoever. He had blacked out for a minute after being sent flying back by one of the monkey's giant fists. He didn't even see April calm down the animal and watch it climb away.

As Donnie came to, April was there cradling his head in her hands, her eyes scanning the colorful cuts and bruises forming on his skin. "Donnie, are you hurt?"

"Just my pride," he groaned. "And my internal organs."

Gently, April attempted to help her friend onto his feet. He yelped in pain, nearly falling over before she caught him again. She placed his arm around her shoulders and held him close. She needed to get him home and fast.

"Can you walk?" She asked.

The turtle nodded. "What happened to the monkey?" He groaned between words.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "He just ran off after I tried to calm him down. Something about the look in his eyes...it was like he was trying to tell me something."

Donnie held his aching head in disbelief. "_You_ calmed him down? Remind me to call you the next time Raph goes into a fury."

The girl snickered. Beaten and broken, Donnie was still cracking jokes. She admired that about him. "Come on, let's get you home."

* * *

Slowly they returned to the lair. The purple-masked turtle wasn't looking forward to his brothers seeing him in his condition, especially when they find out the reason. April was guiding him down the stairs when the rest of the family saw their injured brother.

"What happened?" Raph's voice was filled with concern.

"Donnie got beat up by a lab monkey." April said.

Mikey, Raph and Leo looked at each other for a moment. Then Leo helped Donnie over towards the couch in the pit. "April, can you get an ice pack from the fridge?"

Donnie winced as his body felt the soft cushions underneath him. He noticed that neither of his brothers did a double take after April told him what had happened. Maybe they've decided to give him a break this time.

"Donnie, you gonna be okay?" Leo asked his brother.

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

"Good. In that case-" Leo began before all three of his brothers busted out laughing. So much for that break.

Donnie's face became hot from embarrassment (and a little bit of anger) as the laughter grew louder and wilder.

"You got beat up by a monkey?" Raphael jeered between gasps of breath. "In front of your girlfriend?!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" The tallest turtle snapped back. "And that monkey was a vicious mutant!"

Leo wiped the tears from his eyes, still chuckling. "Yeah, I'm sure he went bananas!"

More laughter from the turtles arose, Mikey was rolling around in a fit of giggles, and Donnie just wanted someone to put him out of his misery.

April returned from the kitchen with an ice pack, expecting to see the other turtles tending to their injured brother, but instead found them laughing hysterically and making jokes. She stormed into the main area of the lair with a glare on her face that could rival even Splinter's stern looks. Raph took note and motioned for the others to stop the jokes as April still frowned at them. "No more monkey puns."

Donnie laughed as April was able to silence them. His head lay comfortably in her lap as she set the ice pack on his forehead. "Are you laughing at him because he's hurt?"

Mikey chimed up, a wide grin still on his face. "No, we're laughing at him because he got beaten by a monkey!"

"What if he had gotten seriously hurt? Would you be laughing then?"

Silence filled the lair as the teenagers looked at one another, suddenly feeling ashamed. Leo apologized to April and Donnie, as did the others, and they all went their separate ways, leaving Donnie to rest and heal on the couch. April didn't leave his side.

He looked up at her. "You don't have siblings do you?"

"Nope." She shook her head. "Only child."

"I could tell. Believe it or not, but we treat each other like that all the time," Donnie explained. "It's the joy of having brothers."

April mused. "I guess. But still, they could've at least tried to be a little more compassionate."

Donatello closed his eyes once more and smiled. "We all show positive emotions in different ways, April. If we had come down here and I was missing one of my limbs, do you think they would have been making monkey jokes then?"

"I would hope not!"

"Don't worry, they wouldn't," Donnie confirmed. "My brothers and I know when to take things seriously and when not to. Obviously they noticed I had no broken bones, my limbs were all in tact, no bodily fluids-"

April had to shut him up before his descriptions got too graphic. "I get it, Donnie!"

"Too descriptive?"

"Very," April shuddered.

He apologized. "Overall, what I was trying to tell you is that just because we taunt and ridicule each other doesn't mean we don't care. Trust me, you'll get used to it, and once you're used to it, you just ignore it."

An odd way of putting it, but April understood what he was trying to say.

"Are you feeling any better?" She asked.

"A little," Donnie responded. "All I need is some rest and I should be okay."

"Well, in that case," April said as she took the pillow from beside her. "I'll let you rest."

She helped her friend sit up and placed the pillow on the arm of the couch. Donnie didn't like that April was leaving, he enjoyed having her look after him, but he didn't protest. A long nap was too good of an offer to pass up.

"Feel better, Donnie," April whispered.

The lanky turtle turned his head. "Thanks, April. I'm sorry we couldn't find anything about Doctor Rockwell...or your dad."

She frowned slightly. "It's alright, I'll do some more research later. Aside from you getting hurt, this was a pretty cool day. I enjoyed hanging out with you!"

Donnie's eyes widened. "R-really?!"

"Totally," the freckled girl smiled. "I'll see you later."

As soon as April left the lair, Donnie couldn't help but pump his fist up in the air in victory, but immediately regretted it as his aching muscles yelled at him to relax. He knew that flow chart of his would work! Next time they hung out he had to make sure no mutant monkeys would ruin their fun.


	3. Helpless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after the Turtles' first battle with Shredder in 'The Gauntlet'.

April sat on one of the couches in the pit of the lair. The tears that she had shed for her father had dried, but her eyes still remained a shade of pink. They were close, so close! She saw her father, heard his voice, and then just a second later he was gone again. When would it end? When would the Kraang be stopped? When could she have her father back? Master Splinter had advised her to meditate for awhile, but the young kunoichi couldn’t get these questions out of her head.

It had been an hour since the turtles had left to stop the Kraang’s mutagen bomb from destroying the city. Leo had informed her that the reason her father was kidnapped was because the Kraang were forcing scientists to help them modify the ooze in an attempt to make it work they way they want to in their dimension. So great. Now the bots weren’t even from out of this world, they were from a whole other dimension!  _ ‘Could this day get any worse?’ _ April thought.

Apparently it could.

The turtles returned home, beaten and broken, worse than April had ever seen. Their weapons were destroyed, shells were cracked, and spirits were crushed. 

“Oh my god,” April whispered and rushed towards her friends. She didn’t hesitate to call upon their master. “Master Splinter!”

Their sensei rushed out of the dojo, ever alert. His ears drooped and his expression horrified. “Boys! What happened?!”

Leo was the only one who spoke. “Shredder.”

Splinter swore under his breath in Japanese. Immediately, he opened up one of the sliding doors to the dojo and ordered his sons, one at a time, to enter. The boys already knew what this meant. Whenever one or all of them were badly hurt, Splinter would usually tend to their wounds using herbs, bandages, and other antibiotics. The brothers sent Mikey in first. Leo, Raph, and Donnie always put their little brother first depending on the circumstances.

As Mikey was being patched up, the rest of the turtles and April sat in the living room. The trio explained what happened.

“We stopped the bomb and we thought that was it,” Leo explained. “But then he just appeared out of nowhere.”

Raph punched the ground angrily, ignoring the damage it did to his already sore hands. “He just caught us off guard that’s all.”

“If it wasn’t for Xever and Bradford interrupting, he would have finished us off,” Donnie spoke in a ghostly whisper.

Moments passed and the other turtles had entered the dojo. Donnie was after Mikey, followed by Raph, and finally Leo. All of them sat apart from each other, depressed and tired from their battle. Mikey lay on a beanbag chair, Donnie sat on the couch, and Raph stood by one of the arcade machines, fuming.

“You were all very lucky,” Splinter said, following Leonardo. “Few have ever faced the Shredder and survived.”

“He was just so fast,” Mikey whined.

Donatello hugged himself. “It was like he was everywhere at once!”

Leo bowed his head shamefully as he faced his master. “You were right about us being overconfident, Sensei. I guess there are some things we aren’t ready for.”

Splinter patted his oldest son’s shoulder. “That no longer matters. It is clear now that Shredder is a problem that will not go away.”

Everyone in the room felt the chill in the air as Splinter declared that they were now at war with the Foot Clan. Leonardo felt the panic in his gut rise. Now they had to worry about the Kraang  _ and _ the Shredder trying to destroy them? That was insane. Every time they went to the surface now they would have to be extra careful.

“I recommend that you rest easy, my sons.” Splinter turned towards the dojo, hands folded behind his back. “I must meditate on the events that have occurred today.”

“I think I’m gonna get going too,” April mumbled and rubbed her exhausted eyes.

Donnie looked at her as she sat up from her spot and turned towards the entrance. He wanted to say something to her, anything that would give her the slightest glimmer of hope. He had promised that they would get her father back, and even with all of the knowledge in his brain, Donnie couldn’t say exactly when. While the rest of his family recovered in the main room, Donnie silently followed his red-haired friend.

He slowly reached his hand out as he called her name. “Uhm...April?”

The teenager stopped walking and glanced over her shoulder. “Yeah?”

“I-I’m sorry,” His voice was soft and he was fumbling with his hands. He got a confused look from the girl. “For...you know.”

“Donnie, that wasn’t your fault,” she sighed.

The ninja stepped closer. “I know, but I made a promise to you; that we would get him back. I always like to keep my promises, if practicable. Maybe I can track-“

“Stop,” she put her hand up and silenced him before he could come up with some crazy scheme to track down the Kraang and get himself into even more trouble. “Don, please, I don’t want you to fret over this. Now with Shredder after you guys, you have other priorities besides saving my father. What I really want you to focus on is feeling better.”

The lanky turtle nodded slowly. He smiled to himself.  _ ‘She’s been hanging around Master Splinter too much.’ _

Then he gasped sharply as he felt April wrap her arms around him, like she did after her Dad got taken away again. Her grip was tight, yet warm. 

“I’ve already lost my Dad, I don’t want to lose you, too.”

Donatello hugged her back. He could hear a shaky sob creeping out of her and his brain began working a mile a minute, playing out different scenarios on how he could rescue Kirby and return him to his daughter. 

The two let each other go and said their goodbyes. Of course he would see her again tomorrow, hopefully their spirits will be brighter. Donatello winced as his bruised body started to ache again. He hoped that these battles with Shredder wouldn’t be a reoccurrence. He returned to the living room where the rest of his family were still sulking in their defeat, and he silently joined them.


	4. Adjustments

“Okay, going to add pressure here...”

“Ouch!”

“Sorry! Tender spot, I suppose.”

“I’m pretty sure  _ all _ of me is tender right now.”

April sat up, an arm protecting her waist. Despite gaining the upper hand during her battle with Karai, the more experienced kunoichi managed to deal more devastating strikes and blows to her inexpert opponent. Soon, the redhead found her body becoming discolored and sore. No battle scars thankfully, but unfortunately the bruises wouldn’t fade away for about a week or two. Donnie, being the team’s main medical expert besides Splinter, patched her up and offered some painkillers.

Afterwards, Donnie got into mechanic mode and started doing tune-ups on the Shellraiser. April sat across from him and watched, occasionally getting out her T-phone and scrolling through social media. For some reason, parts of the internet made her forget that aliens and evil ninjas were after them all. Whenever her mutant friend wasn’t looking, she would take pictures of him, as his attention was completely focused on the decorative train car in front of him, and edit them by placing stickers or just doodling over it. 

A few moments passed and Donnie started to notice the silence between he and his friend. Understandably, she had every reason to be distant. Being forced to live underground for her safety, putting her life on hold would make anyone want to isolate themselves further. He attempted on many occasions listing the benefits, little they were, she would have while staying with them. It didn’t help much, as she would always refute right back to something about the Kraang or her missing father.

Donnie rolled out from underneath the Shellraiser, oil and other smudges covered his already masked face. He decided he was satisfied with the condition of the vehicle and sat down at the workbench, cleaning his face with a rag. 

April was still sitting by where he was working earlier, lost in thought. He rolled his chair over to where she sat and spun around, nonchalant. 

“So, despite running for your life and your opponent being the daughter of Shredder, how was your first real fight?” He asked.

The teenage girl let out an annoyed groan. “Does ‘I definitely wasn’t ready’ count as an answer?”

“Technically yes,” The young scientist hummed. “But you can’t predict when and where you’re going to get into a fight. Don’t be so tough on yourself.”

“Pretty words, D,” she sighed. “It’s just made me realize how much catching up I have to do. I’ve only been training for a few months, but Karai and the rest of you have nearly your whole lives!”

Donnie couldn’t disagree there. “Yes, we do have about a 15 year advantage, but you don’t need to focus on that. Just focus on you. After all, ninjutsu is a very personal art form, not everyone is going to fight the same way.”

He sat down beside her and continued. “And don’t forget, we’ve taken down ninjas who have probably been training for about 5, maybe 10 more years than we have! Numbers don’t matter in this case.”

April heeded his words. Her friend had a point. Enemies like Chris Bradford and Xever were way older than the turtles were and the boys have kicked their butts many times on occasion. She looked up at Donnie, uncertainty in her eyes. “You think I’ve got it in me?”

The mutant wanted to yell.  _ ‘Have you met you, April O’Neil?!’ _ the voice in his head echoed in disbelief. This girl has snuck into many lairs, faced off against Kraang-droids, and calmed down an angry mutant primate, even before her training. And yet she was doubting her abilities.

“April, of course you have it in you!” Donnie praised, his gap-tooth smile present on his face. “You’re strong in more ways than one. You took on a kunoichi of the Foot Clan for crying out loud!”

April began to blush at the sudden praise.

The turtle nudged her affectionately. “I’m very proud of you, April. We all are, really. And, hell, I’m sure if your Dad could see you now, he’d be prouder than all of us.”

Her face fell.

Donnie winced.  _ ‘Nice going, Blabbermouth!’ _

“Actually, I think my dad would flip if he could see what I’ve been up to recently,” April laughed dryly. Then she looked at Donnie, who was still mentally scolding himself, and held him close. “Thank you, Donnie. I needed the pep talk.”

“I-I uhhhh...welcome?” He babbled as his crush hugged him tightly.

She got up and stretched, her body still ached from battle. “I’m going to go lie down for a bit. My side is killing me.”

“Good call!” Don stood up but stayed behind. “Some rest should help.”

He watched her leave and returned to his workbench. He sighed and shook his head. “She doesn’t deserve this...” he whispered.

He didn’t know what the Kraang were planning next or why they were so focused with April. But one thing was clear in his mind; just like he and his brothers needed Splinter, April needed Kirby. He had to find her father. 


	5. Thoughtful Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rounding down to the end of season 1! Hope y'all are enjoying it so far. Thanks for the kudos and positive feedback!

The lair was peaceful for once. April had finally reunited with Kirby, thanks to Donnie’s thoughtful, yet foolish, mission to infiltrate the secret Kraang base he was being held in. Attempting to rescue him solo was, in Raphael’s own words,  _ ‘the most stupid thing Donnie’s brain had ever come up with’ _ , but the mission proved successful once the group outsmarted a new foe which Donnie nicknamed Neutralizer. When they had returned, Raph gave all the credit to Donnie (it had been his idea after all). The hothead knew how much his lovesick brother wanted April’s approval, and the girl had thanked him with a bone-crushing hug.

“Aw, you shoulda seen the look on her face, Metalhead,” Donatello gushed to his robot companion. “I’ve never seen her that happy before.”

The robot turtle chirped positively, content that his creator was happy. Currently, Donnie was working on blueprints for a new invention; ‘Turtle Gliders’ - machines that would allow he and his brothers to fly around the city. He figured that they would come in handy if the Kraang ever issued an air strike (and the fact that they would be  _ very _ fun to ride). The young genius had Metalhead play some music, which echoed around the lab, and got to work. He found himself thinking over today’s events and hummed, tapping his pencil along with the beat of the drums that played. Needless to say, he was in a great mood.

An hour passed and April sauntered into the lab, holding something behind her back. She saw her friend sitting at his table, preoccupied with sketching and mumbling along to the playlist of soft rock songs coming from Metalhead’s speakers. 

“You’ve got good music taste,” April complimented, walking towards the table. She chuckled when he jumped in his chair.

“Thank you,” Donnie smiled at her and erased an unwanted line on the blueprints. “I presumed you would still be with your dad. Everything okay?”

The teen nodded, brushing the bangs out of her eyes. “He’s resting right now. I think it’s going to be easier for him to sleep without having to worry about the Kraang being around watching him.”

“By the way,” she smiled. “I got something for you!”

Curiosity peaked, the turtle stopped what he was doing. April handed him a to-go bag from Murakami’s and he could already smell what the treat was - pizza gyoza! Donnie laughed, showing off the gap in his teeth that the girl had grown fond of. “Oh, yes! I am starved!”

“I know I owe you a lot, all of you...” she began. Donnie put his hand on her shoulder - he could tell where this was going.

“April, you don’t owe us anything. I just wan- er, uh I mean, we just want to see you happy. You’re our friend!” He grabbed the to-go box and a pair of chopsticks out of the bag. “C’mon, we can share!”

April tried to refuse. “Donnie, no, they’re yours.

“Yes, they are. And because they are mine, I can decide what to do with them. So I decide to share them with you,” he declared with a not-so-serious look. Then he shrugged and made it seem that he was pondering a second option. “Of course, I could always share with Mikey, if you’re not interested.”

She snatched the chopsticks out of his hand and he was slightly surprised at how fast her reflexes had gotten. “Okay, first of all, rude,” she joked. “Second, you’re lucky I didn’t eat any on the way over here!” 

The pair sat on top of the Shellraiser, legs crossed and enjoying the savory dumplings. “Man, I cannot get over how good these things are!” April said after a bite.

“Trust me, I remember you snatching the rest off my plate when I finally got you to try one,” the ninja remarked.

April playfully smacked his arm and laughed. “Shut up!”

The duo continued to eat in silence. April wondered if this could be the beginning of her life returning to normal. She had her father back now - all that was left was to deal with the Kraang. And perhaps the giant pearl-like orb she found in the sewers was step one in their downfall.

Hopefully after the Kraang were dealt with, she could get back to focusing on school. She hadn’t checked her grades in months, but something told her that they were anything but decent. Trigonometry had been her mortal enemy since day one, frustrating her to no end and each problem becoming more convoluted than the last, but that all changed once she met Donnie. After mentioning her mishaps with the subject, the inventor happily became her secret tutor, explaining the equations in such a way that April couldn’t believe how much easier it became. Why couldn’t she have met him back in freshman year when algebra was her biggest enemy? 

She smiled to herself. What amazing friends she had, Donnie especially. He had such a caring heart. Risking himself in order to save her dad - on his own no less! She wondered why he decided to go alone in the first place. The turtles were always strongest when they fought as a unit, even if individually they could still pose a major threat.

“Hey, D?” She asked.

The turtle looked at her, still munching on his food.

“Why did you go alone to find Dad?”

He gulped. The question caught him off guard and instantly his brain started creating excuses. He didn’t want to wake his brothers, going solo would garner less attention, he just felt like it. Anything but admitting that he just wanted to impress her. “Oh...um, well I guess it wasn’t the best option I came up with. When I decoded the message you received, I was impatient and didn’t want to wait. I speculated that it was a golden opportunity, and I had to take it no matter what.”

He sighed, decided he couldn’t hide the truth from her anymore. “And...I-I wanted to impress you. I thought that if I rescued your father all on my own you’d see me as some sort of big hero.” He cringed and looked away from her. “God, that sounds pathetic when I say it out loud.”

April sat on her knees and reached out to touch his shoulder. “Donnie, there’s no need to impress me,” she laughed warmly. “You’re already impressive enough. You’re a six foot, mutated, genius martial artist for crying out loud!”

She gestured to the various gadgets, vehicles, and inventions around the lab. “Everything in here, you’ve built by yourself - some of which from scratch! That’s absolutely insane! You’ve been impressing me ever since I’ve been rescued from falling out of that helicopter.”

Don stared at her. The excited tone in her voice and brightness in her blue eyes told him she was being 100% sincere. He still felt embarrassed that he could not see that what was normal to him - creating invention after invention like it was nothing, knocking Kraang-droid’s around and humming tunes from the children’s science shows he would watch as a kid, studying alien tech for fun - was, in fact, not normal to someone else. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t see it like that,” he spoke, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess our lives are pretty extraordinary to the normal eye.” He finished off the rest of the pizza gyoza and his curiosity drifted to the mysterious orb placed on the computer desk.

“That orb,” he pointed his chopsticks in the object’s direction. “You said you found it in the sewers?”

The girl nodded, cleaning up her leftover trash. “I didn’t just find it laying around, I heard it. It was like something whispering to me, guided me to it, but I couldn’t make out what it was trying to say. You think it could be why the Kraang want to capture me?”

His brow furrowed. “It’s a possibility. Considering this is the Kraang, it could be anything; weapon, communicator, translator, all three.”

April grimaced. “Let’s hope it’s not all three.”

Donnie hopped off the Shellraiser and April followed suit. He folded his hands behind his head, a smug smile on his face. “Well, with my brilliant, impressive mind, I’ll be able to figure it out in no time, right?”

She rolled her eyes and warned him. “Hey, don’t get cocky now. I think you’re the last person who needs to have an inflated ego.”

He pretended to take offense, dramatically placing a hand on his plastron. “I’ll have you know my ego is perfectly pressured, thank you very much!”

“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about, right?” She winked at him and Donnie felt his heart just about stop. “I’m going to check on Dad. And thank you, Donnie, for everything. I truly mean it.”

His chestnut eyes softened as she walked out of the lab. Everything seemed to be looking up for them. April had her father back, they stopped another mutated Kraang experiment, and he had some new alien tech to research! He returned to his blueprints, pencil in hand and a smile glued onto his face.


	6. Photograph

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place after 'The Invasion', during the three month gap before 'The Mutation Situation'. I wanted to write a little something about the picture Don has in his lab of himself and April on the swings.

New York rightfully earned its title as the city that never sleeps. Every minute of every day there were always noises, even if the noises weren't coming from the residents, the city was always very much alive. During the day it was cars honking, people yelling at each other, and the occasional police siren wailing whenever a crime had been spotted. The evening was the same except the honking of cars had been increased due to everyone trying to get home. At night it was quieter, but you could always hear the blaring horn of a vehicle or profanities being shouted out of windows.

The night time was perfect. The perfect opportunity for a pair of ninjas (or one and a half, considering one was still being taught) to have a study session in the park.

The young kunoichi-in-training walked through the playground, satchel swung over her shoulder, and observed her surroundings. As Master Splinter had taught her - to listen to the silence. Her instincts told her it was safe, no one was around. It was around 10:40 on a Friday night anyway, most people had other things to do with their lives than be at some little park.

After making sure no one else was around, the teenager gave out a sharp whistle through her teeth. The sound alerted her stealthy friend to appear from the shadows.

"Nice hangout," the turtle complemented as he observed the area. "Peaceful atmosphere, secluded location, perfect spot to study."

"Or a perfect spot to procrastinate," April frowned and sat near the swing set. "That's why I brought you here, I really need to focus. There's an exam on Monday and if I do well on it, it'll bring my grade up to a B-."

Donatello planted himself next to her and examined the study guide she brought in her bag. He switched into teacher mode, presenting the problems in an understandable manner and explaining mistakes while not bewildering her like most of her teachers did. April greatly appreciated it. Of all the times she's heard "you're doing it wrong!" or having a teacher look over your shoulder, then exclaiming to the class "make sure you read the problems thoroughly!" and walking off like they didn't just humiliate you in front of everyone.

Donnie quizzed her on occasion, even creating up original problems in his head to help aide her further in understanding. After about an hour and April began to feel more confident in the subject, both decided they've earned the right to have a bit of fun. Swinging had been a bit of a hassle for the mutant as he found himself having to duck with each swing to avoid being knocked out by the metal bar that held the equipment together.

The roundabout was April's favorite. Ever since she was a little girl she would spin as fast as she could, enjoying the wind rushing past her. Donnie, in an attempt to show off, performed a handstand while the carousel spun at top speed. April rolled her eyes and smirked as she stopped the movement with the heel of her boot, causing the roundabout to halt and the purple ninja yelped as he was launched off. The girl was laughing hysterically, tears in her eyes. And Donnie, in turn, began laughing too.

* * *

"Dudes, I'm so bored!" Wailed the youngest of the Hamato Clan. "I'd never thought I'd actually miss the Kraang running around and doing Kraang-y things."

It had been a week and a half since the turtles defeated their enemies in their plan to invade New York. They had sunk the Technodrome and afterwards, there hadn't been a peep or a growl from any Kraang whatsoever; even the communication orb was silent.

Raph huffed, his eyes glued to the graphic novel in front of him. "Well now that those pink freaks are gone we can focus on takin' Shredder down."

Leo shifted uneasily at the mention of their master's arch enemy. Splinter hadn't been the same since his confrontation with the Foot Clan leader, but wouldn't reveal to any of his sons what went down.

Donnie was laying on the couch, sketching out an idea for a communicator he could hook up to Timothy's tank. "Patrol's gonna be a breeze again, as usual," he commented. "Why don't we take the night off and do something fun?"

Mikey's baby blues lit up. "Yeah! Ooh, let's go back to the sewage plant!"

"How is that place fun?" Leo questioned.

Mikey shrugged, making an 'I don't know' sound with his mouth. Leo shuddered at the thought of the green, smog-filled area and suggested they pick a much cleaner place to go hang out.

"The park is always quiet this time of night," Donnie spoke, pencil sketching away.

"How do you know?" Raph asked, his mask arched as he raised his brow.

Mikey giggled and poked at his older brother's feet and said in a sing-song voice: "He and April always go on study dates there!"

The orange-clad turtle knew that would get on Donnie's nerves and ducked his head into his shell as the lanky genius tried to kick him. "They're not dates!" he spat and glared at Mikey as he scampered away laughing. "Look it was just a suggestion, do you want to go or not?"

Raph got up from his bean bag chair and stretched, throwing his book aside. "Not like we have anything else to do."

"I'm game," Leo smiled.

Mikey ran into his room, grabbing his skateboard and digital camera. Ever since they went up to the surface, he loved to take pictures of places he's been. He'd fill up the camera with dozens of photos and then ask Don to upload them to his computer and print them out. As his brothers prepared to go above ground he figured he'd tease Donnie one last time. "Since going to the park was your idea, why not invite April? I know she'd love it..."

"You know what, I will!" The tallest brother declared and got out his T-phone. "B-but I'm only doing it because I want to, not because you told me to!"

April sat on her bed in her apartment. Life was finally starting to go back to normal for her and her dad. Both of them still dealt with nightmares about the dimensional aliens, but learning under Master Splinter, she knew how to not let them affect her. As for her Father, he was becoming more paranoid than usual. Even at the slightest drop of the TV remote he would jump as if the Kraang had just burst through the door to drag him back to one of their facilities.

The T-phone on her nightstand buzzed and she picked it up, smiling when she realized it was a message from Donnie.

'_Me and the guys are headed to the park to have some fun. Can you join? :)'_

She texted him back.

'_On my way already!'_

Soon enough, all 5 teenagers were playing about and laughing it up. Leo and Raph spared on top of the monkey bars, trying to knock the other off balance, Mikey skated around the playground, snapping of photos of anything and everything. To the regular eye it would seem the young ninja was just taking snapshots of nonsense, but the final photos always had a wild and pleasant aesthetic to them - they just screamed Michelangelo.

April found herself once again on the swings, trying to go as high as she could. She noticed Donnie sitting casually on the roundabout, using his foot to rock it back and forth slowly as he continued to draw on his notepad. She used her feet to skid her swinging to a stop and called him out. "Hey, Don, why don't you come swing with me?"

He smiled and sauntered over to her, setting his sketches aside. "I can't really swing with you if I want to keep my head," he joked. "The best I can do is just sit and sway." He paused for a moment. "Or I could give you a push if you'd like..."

He expected to be denied on the spot, but instead April heartened the idea. "Yeah, sounds fun!"

Mikey was still skating around the park, camera ready. He captured photos of himself, one of Raphael falling off the monkey bars (he figured it would come in handy later on in life), and his favorite pic of the night was the one he captured of Donnie and April. His older brother was smiling like he'd never seen, his red-brown eyes glistened under the street lights. April was smiling and laughing too; both didn't have a care in the world.

The next day, Mikey strolled into the lab after training. Donnie, geared up with goggles and a blow torch, was already working on another invention. "Hey, D, gonna borrow your computer real quick to print out some photos!" he announced.

"That's fine," Donnie responded, not really paying attention to his brother.

Mikey swirled in his chair excitedly as the pictures began to print off. Once they were done, he gathered the stack in his hands, leaving one particular one on Donnie's desk. "Left a present for ya, Donnie! You'll thank me later!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now it's on to Season 2! And as you probably already know, it's not going to start off pleasant...


	7. Anger Management

April had returned to her now empty apartment in a rage. Her father, now a giant mutated bat, was out flying amok in the New York sky somewhere, there were canisters of mutagen all over the city, and it seemed she was back to square one again. No father, no normal life, and now no friends - well, no mutant ones anyway.

Heading to her room, she slammed the door and flopped down on her bed. She wanted to hit something, hit someone, anything to let out the anger that boiled inside her; but the best she could do was scream into her pillow.

How could the guys be so reckless? They always got like this whenever they won a battle, she noticed, but then their overconfidence would get the best of them and something would go wrong. And now it just so happened that she and her dad were caught in their line of fire. But no more.

April wanted to scream into her pillow again, but couldn't. All the anger she had was replaced with sorrow and she let it out through tears. Even though she wasn't the one who unleashed the mutagen, she felt responsible for her father's transformation. She remembered a few months back, the day when she had her battle with Karai, Mikey had accidentally spilled a splash of Kraang water onto her arm and nothing happened. Maybe if that mutagen did hit her, she would still be the same. And her father would still be human.

What would she do? What _could_ she do? She wasn't a scientist - she was barely passing chemistry now. Donnie had sworn to fix her father's mutation, but as far as she was concerned, she didn't want his help. She didn't want any of their help. They've done enough.

Her phone had been buzzing and ringing for the past half hour and with an annoyed huff, she turned it on silent. Probably just the boys spamming her with apologies and telling her how'd they fix this mess. She didn't want to hear it - not now. She was exhausted and she needed to go to bed, it was a school night.

She didn't even bother changing into her pajamas, just kicked her boots off and faced the window. Maybe she could start over in a way. Focus on school, get her grades up, hopefully be able to apply for a scholarship before she graduated in two years. Like a normal kid. She closed her watery eyes and prayed that sleep would take her away soon.

* * *

"Don't touch me! You keep away from me! I never want to see your faces ever again!"

It was 3 AM and Donnie's subconscious kept repeating that scene over and over like a broken record. His picture perfect memory turning on him as he could see the snarl on her face, the tears in her eyes. It was all their fault and it tore him apart. Yes, everyone makes mistakes, but this wasn't just an 'oopsy daisy, I'll clean that up' mistake, this was a 'fucked up beyond belief' mistake.

Dozens of mutagen canisters were now scattered all over New York City. And at the rates they were falling, who's to say they all didn't crack open and mutate any innocent bystander in its path? Just like Mr. O'Neil.

They had to change him back. He had to change him back, for her.

Donatello's breathing became rapid and heavy as April's venomous words tormented his brain. He let out an angry yell, grabbed the nearest object (which happened to be an empty beaker) and threw it against the wall, watching it shatter with white eyes. Pounding his fist against his desk repeatedly, he swore. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

The infuriated genius paced around the lab, mumbling to himself about how he had to fix this mess. "There's gotta be a cure, there's gotta be. I need to find one, make it myself if I have to!"

He thought of all animals and/or humans that were out there right now, transforming. This was what the Kraang wanted wasn't it - to mutate the entire planet? How could they let this happen? He and his brothers, they did this! Why were they always overconfident?! Last time they were full of themselves, they nearly got their shells caved in by Shredder himself. And given on what had happened tonight, Donnie wished they would've just fought Shredder instead. Then maybe she wouldn't have left them, she'd still be here.

The purple-masked turtle stormed over to his computer desk and opened various files he had saved while he was studying the mutagen itself. Maybe something he typed down in the past could spark an idea of how to reverse the effects. A retro-mutagen.

There was a loud banging at the door followed by an even louder voice. "Donnie! What the hell are you doing in there?!"

He ignored the voice, focused on his work as always. Until the source of the shouts came storming through the door, looking redder than the mask on his face. "What's with the clutter? You woke up Spike and now he's all grumpy!"

Don rolled his eyes. Raph always used his pet as an excuse to hide the fact that it was himself who had a problem. "Go away, Raph, I'm busy."

"At 3 AM? You dull idiot, do you realize we have training in 3 hours? Splinter's gonna have your shell if he notices you slacking off again."

The younger sibling shook his head in frustration. "I'll worry about that later! This is more important, now get out of here!" He pointed harshly at the door, not even looking at his brother who was about to blow a gasket. No one talked to him like that.

Raph took it as a challenge, slamming his palms near the keyboard and getting his brother's attention. Green eyes viciously stared into bloodshot ones as he growled, "Why don't ya make me?"

Donnie had it. He lunged at his sibling, shoving him against the wall, but Raph pried his hands off his shoulders with ease and kicked him to the ground. Donnie was way out of control and needed to cool off. The stronger turtle grabbed the lanky one by his shell and made his way towards the door, ignoring the squirming and shouts coming from Donatello. "Let me go, Meathead! I need to find a cure!"

Raph blinked, still dragging his weaker brother along the ground. He knew that was the issue; every time something went wrong, especially when it came to April, Donnie always had to fix it. Even if he wasn't the only one at fault. It honestly hurt him to see his younger brother so frustrated and heartbroken, letting out all of his anger on others - it reminded Raph of himself. Donnie always had somewhat of a short temper, but unlike Raph he could control it better. At least until stress pushed him over the edge.

They reached Donatello's room and Raph shoved his younger brother inside, closing the door and barricading it with one hand. Donnie, still fuming, pulled at the handle, desperately trying to get out.

"Go to bed, Donnie!" Raphael ordered. "You can't come up with a cure while your head is all messed up."

He didn't listen; just kept rattling the door handle and shouting obscenities. Then Raph said something that made him stop completely.

"April will come back."

Raph had his eyes shut, arm out and holding the door closed. He swore he could hear Donnie let out a confused "what?" And he clarified. "She's just as upset as you are right now, probably even more. Just give her time, Man."

All of Don's anger melted into sorrow and he broke down in tears, sliding down his door with a 'thump'. Raph took a deep breath, wanting to open the door and hold his younger brother in a bear hug, consoling him that they would all fix this mess together and he wasn't alone in it. But, looking back on past experiences, he knew Donnie just had to let it all out.

Slowly taking his strong hand off the door, he mumbled an apology before retreating back to his own room to catch some sleep. "I'm sorry, Brother."


	8. Jealously

This was not happening, this was  _ so _ not happening! How could this be happening?!

Donatello stomped through the sewer tunnels trying to wrap his head about who and what he saw. He and his brothers were hunting for mutagen when he recognized the location they were at - near the park. The same park where April lead him to help her study, the same park where everyone took the night off to goof around like the teenagers they were. And sure enough, she had been there. He glanced down at the figure, her trademark red hair made her easy to spot from afar; but his glance became confused and surprised when he saw that she wasn’t alone.

Someone else was on the swing opposite of her. Donnie focused on the stranger and noticed it was another kid, a boy around the same age as April. Another friend of hers perhaps? He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but he noticed the textbook in April’s lap and the boy swinging beside her, probably not even paying attention.

_ ‘Just a study session,’ _ Donnie told himself.  _ ‘No big deal, right?’ _

The turtle saw the other kid stop swinging and looking at April. He was speaking about something, hands gesturing wildly, and then he looked at her, reaching out a hand to touch her face. Donnie felt his heart shatter at that moment. Was this a date?! No, no, it couldn’t be. Humans make physical contact with other humans every day, that didn’t make it romantic or anything. But he had to find out for sure.

The ninja attempted to listen closely to their conversation but accidentally fell over the edge and into a dumpster, the loud crash alerted them. He stayed perfectly still, trying not to gag from the foul stenches that surrounded him, hoping that neither of them would come around to investigate. After he heard one of them suggest they go somewhere else, he slowly peeked out of the trash to make sure he could escape undetected. And now he was walking home, still peeling trash off his body.

He had made it home before his brothers, surprisingly, and continued talking to himself as he hopped over the entrance gate.

“And why did he touch her face like that? Did he even ask her permission first?” Donnie growled. “If that were me-“

“Donatello!”

The sound of his father’s voice made him halt by the lab doors. Maybe he should’ve kept his voice down.

“You’re home early,” Splinter observed, cane in hand and walking down the steps from the dojo. “Care to explain the reasons behind your ramblings, my Son?” His pink nose twitched. “And why you smell like a dumpster?”

Donatello winced. Sheepishly, he let go of the door handles that led to his sanctuary and turned slowly on his heels, facing his father. “I, um, lost my footing, Sensei. I was...distracted.”

“What was it that distracted you?”

His son’s eyes looked at anything but him. Donatello fumbled with his hands, a trademark sign of nervousness to the young ninja. He didn’t want to describe what he saw, for fear that he would convince himself that it was true. “Something just caught me off guard, that’s all.” 

Splinter had a clue about what was troubling him. Ever since the mutagen canters were scattered over the city, his second youngest appeared more distraught and on edge. He knew April’s decision to stay away wounded him the most. He saw how his shoulders would tense up at the mention of her name, he noticed the light coming from the lab during the hours when he should be in bed. “Did this ‘something’ happen to be April?” 

The boy bowed his head reluctantly. “Hai, Sensei...”

Splinter taped his jade cane on the floor, signaling for Donatello to follow him as he strolled to the kitchen. “Come, my Son. Let us chat.”

* * *

“So, you let your feelings get the best of you.” Splinter concluded after Donnie had described what he saw.

“N-no! That’s not-“ The young genius was now at a loss for words, knowing that deep down his Sensei was right. He was just too stubborn to admit it. “It’s just that I don’t trust that kid, Master Splinter.”

The wise rat raised an eyebrow. “You have not met this boy and yet you do not trust him? Donatello, I realize you are distraught about losing April as a friend, but I figured you would not be so quick as to make such illogical conclusions. You are a very intelligent soul, my Son, however it seems that you let your heart get in the way of your thinking. If April wishes to move on with her life, that is her decision to make.”

Donnie had no clue what to say. Out of all the members of his family, his father usually left him feeling confused and questioning his words. “B-but, Sensei...” he managed to get out before pausing. “I’m scared. I don’t want April to move on because...I’m not ready to move on without her.”

The rat’s ears drooped sadly as he looked at his boy. He rested a warm, loving, hand on his bony shoulder. “You have every right to feel afraid, Donatello. I still believe April has more healing to do, emotionally, and will ultimately return in her own time. All I ask is that you do not lose hope.”

The turtle rubbed his eyes and nodded. “I’ll try, Sensei, I promise.”

“Very good,” Splinter smiled and turned to leave the area. He looked back at Donatello and said: “And if you do not mind, might I suggest a bath?” 

Donnie blushed. “Hai, Sensei, right away.”


	9. Always Being There

From the very first moment, he was always there. To catch her when she fell, to console her when something in her life went astray, cheer her on in training, aide her in battle. He was there. She appreciated it dearly - he had a caring heart, a trait that was reserved for those closest to him. Her especially.

She didn’t know what she had done to earn his affections so drastically. The first time they had met she reacted negatively towards him, screaming and backing away from his offers to help her. Of course, she and her father were in the process of getting captured, so her stress levels made it a hassle to calm down and compose herself to new company. As she got to know him and his family better, the more she noticed his not-so-subtle remarks and advances. The hit and miss (mostly miss) nicknames, always wanting to be in her presence, trying to impress her with every opportunity he was granted. He had a crush - it was too obvious. 

Unless they were alone, she just brushed them off. It wasn’t important right now, she’d remind herself. There was always some bigger problem at hand, a Kraang attack, Foot Clan problem, something about her missing father - there would be time for feelings later. Donnie respected this, often grateful for the fact that she opted to ignore his awkward slip of the tongue. He was a scientist; any failed attempt at flirting he would look back upon and try to figure out what went wrong. Was it his line delivery? Not smooth enough? Bad timing? More often than not, his timing was always off.

After their first major battle with the Kraang and Kraang Prime, rescuing April and supposedly destroying the Technodrome, he figured his moment would come soon. He wouldn’t have to worry about the brain-bots trying to abduct her, mutate the city, and attempt to exterminate his family. As long as he played his cards right, he could have a chance.

And then they messed up...big time.

Kirby’s mutation seemed to be the breaking point for April. And when she discovered it was the turtles, her friends, that were ultimately responsible, she snapped. Donatello knew he lost a friend that night, and any chance he had of declaring his feelings were destroyed. The trust and loyalty he found in her was gone, replaced with bitterness and anger.

Even though the turtle could sense that she probably hated his guts, with every attempt to reassure her being met with  _ ‘I never want to see your face again’ _ , it wouldn’t stop him from being there for her. If a moment ever came where she called him, texted him, or even appeared in front of him and said ‘I need help’, he would do anything in his power to assist her.

April never imagined she’d see him again, not after she vocally renounced him twice. If he truly liked her as much as he showed, he would respect her wishes to stay away.  _ ‘Some things are just beyond our control,’ _ was the last thing he said to her before she stormed off - and it stuck with her for hours. It wasn’t until she was at the ice rink with Casey that she finally understood what Donnie had meant. 

The vigilante hockey player retold a story of his past; best friend turned stranger after an unfortunate accident. It wasn’t Casey’s fault that Nick got his teeth knocked out, he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time! It’s not like Casey planned to harm his friend!

Oh...

Just then it felt like the smoke in her brain faded away. Like dumping a cup of water onto a small fire - the flame vanishes. Had she really been that arrogant? That stubborn? That selfish? All the anger at her friends was gone. Her friends...

It wasn’t their fault. Yes, they were overconfident, they should have acted with caution, but it’s not like their game plan was to mutate everything and everyone in the city - that was the Kraang’s dirty job. She didn’t know the ship was carrying mutagen and neither did the turtles. It was purely an accident. And some accidents could be fixed. She knew she had to apologize to them when she got the chance. Unfortunately, she was going to have to fight first.

* * *

April knew he would show up when she called in distress, but she still felt glee when he came to her rescue, using his Naginata to impale a Footbot from behind. They fought side by side and it was like things were already back to normal, like she hadn’t told him to get lost hours earlier. Leo, Raph, and Mikey joined the fight moments later. With her Footbots destroyed, Karai vanished and the battle was over for now. April returned to the ice rink, making sure Casey was safe and sound - which he was. He was disappointed when he ran out of robots to fight and April laughed.  _ ‘He and Raph would get along well,’ _ she noted to herself.

After getting Casey home and making sure no more Footbots were going to pop up, she made her way to one of the many various manhole covers in a back alley. An entryway to her home away from home. Walking in the sewers, she wondered if anything about the lair had changed in her absence. She hadn’t been gone very long, but maybe the guys scavenged another arcade machine or Donnie invented a new contraption for his lab. Her mind shifted to the tall ninja. She never got the chance to thank him, or his brothers, for having her back.

As she passed through the turnstile, she saw the boys gathered around the television watching some new show - it seemed like one of those badly dubbed cartoons from the eighties. All four turtles turned their heads towards the entrance and they rose up from their spots at the sight of their old friend. Donnie let out a gasp of breath, stunned but joyful. She had come back.

The teenager apologized for how she had treated them, saying how she never wanted to hold a grudge on anyone again. Leo had bowed, accepting her apology and showing remorse about Karai attacking her, although April reassured him that it wasn’t his fault. Raph gave her a firm nod and a smile saying: “Welcome back, Sister,” as he crossed his legs on the couch. Mikey engulfed her in a hug and offered a slice of (dirty) pizza as a sign of forgiveness, but seeing the condition of the food, April politely declined and Mikey ate it anyway. The boys really haven’t changed a bit.

Then she locked eyes with Donnie. She hurried towards him, feeling that he deserved a greater apology. “Thank you, Donnie, for always being there. Even when I didn’t want you to be.”

As she wrapped his arms around his neck and felt him hug her back, she realized how much she missed this - how much she missed him. They had grown close over the past few months and something within urged her to get a little bit closer. So she kissed him. Just a peck on the cheek to tell him how much he meant to her, how sorry she was. It seemed Donnie had forgotten how to breathe in that moment. Everything faded out of view as he daydreamed himself soaring around the Earth in victory like a missile. Mikey declared a celebration in order as he bounced to the kitchen, finding whatever leftover pizza he could find (that was not only edible to himself). Raph and Leo followed their baby brother and it wasn’t until April took his hand that Donnie came back to earth again.


	10. Revelations

"You're not entirely human, April. In fact, you are a half-human, half-alien...mutant!"

As if her life couldn't get more interesting. April's blue eyes lost focus and a sound rang loudly in her ears. Just like when she and her father were approached by the Kraang on that fateful night - everything changed. Everything she thought she knew about her past, her family, herself. It was all...a lie of sorts. Her friends were mutants, her Sensei was a mutant, her Father was currently a mutant, and now she was a mutant. And unlike her Father, April was pretty sure this couldn't be reversed; not if she wanted to be a completely different person with different DNA.

"Oh yeah!" Michelangelo smiled and opened up his arms. "Welcome to the family!"

Well at least someone could make light out of this.

April felt her head pulsate, as if someone just dropped an anvil on her head like in the cartoons. Hand on her temple, she stumbled. "I...I think I need to sit down."

Mikey caught her just as she buckled down to her knees. Donnie rushed to her side, feeling her forehead to check for signs of a sudden fever. "April! Hey, can you hear me?"

Leo asked, still bewildered by the reveal. "Donnie, are you sure? A mutant?"

His younger brother's eyes narrowed. Questioning his intelligence right now was not helping. "I know what I saw, Leo!"

Mikey rubbed her back, still cradling the girl in his arms. He reminded her to breathe, saying everything was going to be okay. April came to, her vision focusing, now being able to see each one of her friends' concerned faces instead of fuzzy, green blobs. She took deep breaths, but her body was still shaking. Raphael, not knowing what else to do, headed for the door. "I'll go get Splinter!"

A hand reached out. "No! I-I'm okay. I'm okay. I just need a moment."

The youngest turtle helped April to her feet. Her legs were stiff but they still allowed her to move, very slowly. Donnie watched her carefully, signs of a mental breakdown were evident, and his heart broke watching April trying to process the news. Leo suggested they bring her to the living room and they all retreated out of the lab. Raph made his way to the area first, kicking leftover pizza boxes away and clearing a spot on the couch for the girl.

April slowly let go of Mikey's grasp. "Thank you, guys, I'm just..." She plopped down on the lime green furniture and leaned forward, holding her head. She still had a minor headache from the Kraang machine she had been strapped to earlier that day, but the stress from discovering who- what she actually was, made her mind feel like imploding in on itself. Leo rushed to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Donnie bent down in front of her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. When she didn't jerk or yell at the contact, he tried to get her to look at him. He whispered, "Breathe." She met his gaze, taking a deep breath making her body shudder once again.

"What is all the commotion?" A voice spoke, and the turtles looked up at their father who was standing at the dojo's entrance. He took one glance at April and knew something was wrong with the young kunoichi. The rat strode near the main area. "April, are you feeling alright?"

She wanted to laugh. Alright?! Oh yeah, y'know, it's just one of those days when you find out that you're only half human and an alien race from another dimension kidnapped your mother and created fifty-something clones of your being to try and snag your DNA! Just teenager things! "I'm not, Sensei," she shook her head. Leo returned, offering her a drink. She smiled, silently thanking him. She drank the entire cup in a few seconds, not realizing how dehydrated she was. Clearing her dry throat, she glanced up at her teacher. "I learned something new about my past and I don't know how or what to think."

"Would you like somewhere quiet to reflect, my child?" Splinter held out a hand, the other behind his back. April nodded. She had a lot of thinking to do.

Splinter led his student to the dojo, recommending that she sit and meditate in order to help soothe her clustered mind. She sat under the tree, her favorite spot in the room, and curled up, resting her arms on her knees. Not a professional meditative position, but comfortable enough to calm her down. Splinter lit some incense on the mantle, the room now had a warm, mild sent to it. He respected her wishes to be alone and offered his company, if she needed it, before returning to his private room near the end of the dojo.

Alright, so she was technically a mutant. Being half human wasn't the part that bothered her most, it was the other half, the Kraang half that made her blood pressure rise. She hated the Kraang. They were responsible for stealing her dad from her, wanting to destroy the city she lived in, wanting to kill her friends, and now probably the reason why she grew up without a mother. They wanted to take everything from her.

And if they managed to use her for their scientific bidding - to make the mutagen work in their favor, then what? They'd just toss her away like a rag doll, or maybe even destroy her afterwards. Because then she was of no use to them anymore, she had no purpose. April felt herself getting angry. Is that all she was meant to be?! An experiment? A lab rat (she prayed Splinter couldn't read her mind)?! What if the Kraang took her as a child? Her life would be over before it ever began.

What would her father think of all this? If he ever returned back to his human form, they were going to need to have a long talk. The teenager bit her lip, dreaming up the worst case scenario; what would her father think of her being part Kraang? He was terrified of the alien race, and finding out that his own daughter was part of that race? Would he be afraid of her too? No. He wouldn't, she told herself. Because she wasn't like them - nothing like them.

Her biological makeup said that yes, she was part Kraang, but that didn't make the Kraang her family. She would never want to be a part of that family (the very thought of slimy, brain-looking aliens sitting around Thanksgiving dinner made her shiver). She knew who she was and who her family was; the turtles, Splinter, her father and his relatives, even the vigilante knucklehead, Casey Jones. And she was April O'Neil; ninja in training, ass-kicking, sweet sixteen year old mutant! No pig-headed, brain blob was going to tell her otherwise.

April let out a shaky breath and opened her eyes, the sun's rays peeking through the skylight above shone down on her, as if the heavens had realized her epiphany as well. She felt better, albeit her headache was still present. Perhaps a nap was in order for later. It had been a very long day. But now she decided to take Splinter's advice and meditate. She changed her sitting position, back straight, legs crossed and arms resting in her lap. And when she felt ready, she closed her eyes and listened to the silence.

* * *

An hour passed and April couldn't tell if she was entirely deep in thought or if she was about to pass out from exhaustion. She sensed a figure lingering in the doorway, pondering on whether they should enter or not. The girl smiled, she knew this nervous energy anywhere. "Donnie..."

Brown eyes widening in surprise, the young ninja appeared fully, hands held up and grinned. "You're getting better at that," he observed.

"It's not that difficult," she noted, stretching her arms. "You shuffle your feet when you're anxious."

He frowned slightly. One thing he and Mikey had in common was they both couldn't stay still for too long, although Donnie was more focused than his baby brother, when his nerves were a wreck, so was he. "Yeah, bad habit I've been trying to break." He changed the subject, sitting down beside her. "Are you alright?"

April shrugged. "A little. I'm still processing this whole thing and I feel like I have more questions than answers. Why my mom? What happened to her and could she possibly still be out there?"

Donnie listened attentively, gazing at her face as she rambled away. Not that he was staring, no, he was just studying the freckles on her cheeks, the way her nose and brow scrunched up when she tried to think of a word that was on the tip of her tongue. She caught his eye and the taller mutant blinked. "Maybe you could call Kurtzman sometime, ask him anything you want. He appears to have a lot of knowledge about the Kraang and what they've been up to. And because your Father is MIA, it seems he's the best chance right now concerning your family history."

"And speaking of your dad," Donnie started. He began to shuffle his feet again and April took notice. She placed a hand over his and smiled. He continued. "I have an idea - a theory if you will."

"What is it?"

"I've been thinking. The Kraang want your DNA to perfect the mutagen, right? It's a long shot but I believe instead of using it to perfect the ooze, maybe we could alter it. Your generic code could be just what we need to create a retro-mutagen."

The redhead's eyes widened and a hopeful smile began to grow. "Then that means..."

"We can finally cure your father," Donnie finished with a nod. "Again, it's still just a hypothesis in the making, but if you're willing to run some tests with me, we can give it a shot."

April was on her knees shaking him excitedly. "Are you kidding? Let's do it! When can we start?"

Donnie giggled at her enthusiasm and held her by the shoulders. He got up on his feet; they weren't shuffling anymore. "I'd like you to get some rest first," he recommended, helping her stand up and gently holding her hand in his. "Let's just take it easy for the rest of the night and we can start experimenting tomorrow."

She was speechless at this ray of hope. The key to her father's cure could very well be in her blood. It was cliche, but she didn't care. Having her dad back would be a step forward in her now insane life. It was worth a try. April looked up at her friend - he was smiling at her and his eyes had that familiar glisten of warmth and kindness she'd grown to admire. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him in close and he happily hugged her back.


	11. Rivalry

Donatello didn’t exactly hate Casey Jones. The kid was almost a human replica of his brother; short tempered, thrives in chaos, never thinking before acting, loves loud and unnecessary noises. Just add a huge drop of Ego with a dash of degree in being a smartass and you would have Casey. Upon first meeting, after the boy followed a fuming Raphael back to the lair, Donnie didn’t think much of him - just an intruder who broke into their sanctuary. It wasn’t until April revealed she knew and was friends with him that the turtle put two and two together; Casey was the one April was at the park with many nights ago.

Don clenched his jaw, remembering their fight with Timothy in the alleyway, Leo stating: “We can’t let April’s boyfriend see us!” April had eased his fears when she introduced Casey to the turtles as her friend. No boy in front of the word at all, just a friend! Of course it only delayed his emotional turmoil for a while.

Ever since his brothers found out about his crush on the redhead (which had been as soon as he uttered  _ ‘she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen’ _ out loud), he’s heard nothing but doubt, most of it coming from Raphael. “It’ll never happen,” he would say when he caught his younger brother drifting off, a lovesick smile painted on his face. It was always the same thing with Raph; she’s a human, you’re in over your head, you’re a mutant!

Just a mutant...

“But so is she!” He could now counter with. She was only half human. He still could have a chance with her, if she was willing to let him. And if not...well, Donnie decided he would cross that bridge when he came to it. What did Casey have that he didn’t? Sure he was also a human (full blooded to Don’s knowledge), he could go above ground whenever he wanted and not be seen as some sort of monster, went to school with April, had a lot more time to spend with her...

Okay, so Casey had some advantages over the young mutant turtle. But he knew April longer than Casey did! For almost a full year they’ve been building their bond; fighting the Kraang, spending time in the lab, training together, helping her study. Did hockey-boy ever catch April after falling out of a helicopter? Did he rescue her father? Did he help bring her trigonometry grade up to a B-? That was all Donnie.

So, he had many advantages as well. He kept telling himself there was no need to worry. April wouldn’t stop liking him or begin to like him less now that there was another human on the team, Donatello knew she would never be that shallow. But there was always a voice, or many voices, nagging at him constantly - telling him to give up. 

_ ‘Look at you, you’re a giant turtle! How could April ever love something like you?’ _

_ ‘You’re more animal than human!’ _

_ ‘You really think you have a chance? Quit fooling yourself. You’re stuck in a childish fantasy. Grow up already!’ _

He screamed at his brain to shut up. He wouldn’t give up just yet. Master Splinter always told him to have hope, and he would. He was still figuring out a retro-mutagen for Mr. O’Neil, and once he perfected it, that would surely place him on April’s good side (he was already on her good side, but perhaps this could get him higher on the scale)!

Donnie mentally scolded himself, knowing better than to believe that just because he did something nice for the girl, she owed him something in return. He couldn’t let jealousy get the better of him. Splinter loved to remind his sons, Donnie more often than the rest, that jealousy clouds judgment. It festers into anger, which transforms into hatred. He didn’t want to hate anybody. He knew what hate was capable of, all he had to do was think of Shredder.

So in his brilliant mind, Casey Jones was a friend. A new ally to fight besides, to keep Raph company when he needed to bash some skulls, to play video games with Mikey when everyone else was busy. However in his heart, Casey Jones was a threat. A threat to his friendship with April, another person to show her affections towards, someone else who could make her happy or happier. And if worse came to worst, he could only pray the heartbreak would go easy on him.


End file.
